Empathy Kiss
by MirrorDede
Summary: Ritsuka Aoyogi and Oz Vessalius meet by the river, and find some common ground.


**Empathy Kiss**

**Summary:** Ritsuka Aoyagi and Oz Vessalius meet by the river, and find some common ground.

**Words:** 794

**Rating:** PG-13

**Writer's Note:** First time writing crossover fic and first time writing for _Loveless_. Thank to total_alias for beta reviewing!

Ritsuka Aoyagi slung his camera over his shoulder and wondered out into the street. He didn't care where he'd end up; he just needed to get out of the house. Normally he would like to just stare straight ahead lost in his own thoughts, but lately he'd become aware of a need to be more cautious. A sense of danger and threat had been lurking in the air for many months now, ever since he'd become aware of the game he was involved in. A perilous game of word spells, in which he was the sacrifice.

So his eyes scanned the cityscape and tried to see the horizon, which was only visible in one spot – a spot Yuiko had shown him - the river. _Maybe I can make some memories,_ he thought, adjusting his camera so it wouldn't bang against his hip and leave a bruise. Once arrived, he clambered down the riverbank, being careful so as not to get tiny rocks in his shoes.

His eyes – now accustomed to alighting on anyone he saw – saw a blond boy sitting there, piling up rocks into a tower. The boy looked to be a few years older than he, and was wearing shorts and boots – a strange combination in Ritsuka's eyes_. He's alone_, thought Ritsuka. _So even if he's a fighter or sacrifice, he probably won't want to battle._ Curious, he proceeded with caution to where the boy sat.

The blond looked up and smiled.

"Hi!"

"Hi…" Ritsuka looked at the boy's friendly grin. "Could I take a picture of your tower?"

"Sure. What's your name?"

"Ritsuka. Aoyagi Ritsuka," came the wary reply. Ritsuka was worried because his name could be used against him. He was worried because his mother didn't believe he really _was_ Ritsuka. And he was worried because he knew in his heart that his real name was Loveless.

"Mine's Oz…Oz Vessalius." The blond held out his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

The two shook hands and then Ritsuka took out his camera.

"What this supposed to be?" he asked, focusing his lens on the rock formation.

"Kind of a tower. You see there's this girl named Alice…" Oz ran his fingers through his hair. "And she was trapped in a tower for years."

"Really?" Ritsuka looked up. "Did her mom keep her tied to a chair so she couldn't leave?"

"Well, I don't know anything about her mom, but…well, actually I don't know much about her past at all…and neither does she," Oz looked out over the water, and his eyes focused on the distant horizon. "She kinda…lost her memories."

"Oh?" Ritsuka took a couple of quick pictures of the boy and the rock tower, and then looked up at Oz. "That's like me. I can't remember anything that happened more than two years ago."

Oz cocked his head, looking concerned at first, then smiled, thinking of his friend Gilbert.

"That sort of thing's pretty common I guess!"

"Is it?" Ritsuka snapped a couple more shots and then paused to reflect, looking down at Oz's boots. His thoughts turned to his brother Seimei. "Did…did this girl Alice…lose someone important to her?"

"Maybe…" Oz picked up a flat rock and considered it for a moment, then decided to cast it out onto the water. "I don't know. She definitely seems to be missing someone. And I kinda miss her…"

For moment Ritsuka wondered why Oz would care about this girl if he knew so little about her. But then recalled that he himself had grown strangely attached to Soubi while knowing little about him.

"Oz, can I ask you something?" Ritsuka put down his camera.

"Sure."

"Do you think it's weird for someone to just come up and kiss you for no apparent reason?"

"Kind of. But it's also…nice!" Oz grinned. Then he touched his cheek, remembering how Alice had bit his cheeks once, confusing it for a kiss. "I mean, it's nice to know that someone cares enough to try to kiss you."

_Yeah, it's nice,_ thought Ritsuka. But then his heart ached with the sadness of missing Soubi when he didn't even understand _why_ he would miss that infuriating, mysterious man.

Ritsuka thought of Seimei, Soubi, Yuiko and so many other people who were dear to his heart. Oz noted the deep look of sadness on Ritsuka's face and a wave of empathy washed over him. He stepped closer to Ritsuka, lifted his chin with his fingers and placed a gentle kiss on the other boy's lips. Ritsuka trembled and turned away, close to tears.

"Don't make me love you, too!" He gasped out as he ran up the sandy hill. He didn't care where he'd end up. He just needed to get away from the aching in his heart.


End file.
